1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable electronic device not having a map database stored internally and capable of outputting to a user navigation guidance instructions generated in and by a server.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Global Positioning System (GPS) based navigation devices are well known and are widely employed as in-car navigation devices. Common functions of a navigation device include providing a map database for generating navigation instructions that are then shown on a display of the navigation device. These navigation devices are often mounted on or in the dashboard of a vehicle using a suction mount or other mounting means.
The term “navigation device” refers to a device that enables a user to navigate to a pre-defined destination. The device may have an internal system for receiving location data, such as a GPS receiver, or may merely be connectable to a receiver that can receive location data. The device may compute a route itself, or communicate with a remote server that computes the route and provides navigation information to the device, or a hybrid device in which the device itself and a remote server both play a role in the route computation process. Portable GPS navigation devices are not permanently integrated into a vehicle but instead are devices that can readily be mounted in or otherwise used inside a vehicle. Generally (but not necessarily), they are fully self-contained—i.e. include an internal GPS antenna, navigation software and maps and can hence plot and display a route to be taken.
Currently, portable electronic devices employing GPS or other such location calculating services are increasingly used for outdoor activities such as hiking, running, or cycling. As a result, users now commonly use a portable electronic device when exercising.
Portable electronic devices used while exercising such as biking computers can be divided into the categories of high-end devices and low-end devices. The high-end portable electronic devices contain a position receiving device such as a GPS receiver as well as a map database inside the portable electronic devices. As a result, the high-end portable electronic devices can offer users the ability to plan routes as well as to track routes taken by the users. On the other hand, low-end portable electronic devices contain a position receiving device but do not contain a map database inside the portable electronic devices. Consequently, the low-end portable electronic devices can only track waypoints taken by the users.
Unfortunately, due to their added functionality and the included map databases, high-end portable electronic devices are more expensive than their low-end portable electronic devices counterparts. Also, high-end portable electronic devices consume more battery power. Furthermore, the low-end portable electronic devices are not able to offer much in the way of navigation guidance to users. Thus there exists a need in the market for low-end portable electronic devices that do not contain a map database yet still offer improved navigation guidance to users while exercising. There also exists a need for the navigation guidance provided by low-end portable electronic devices to not only provide information regarding direction to the next waypoint but also information to enable the user to be able to distinguish the directions of roads in intersections met along the journey.